Providing session-based services to event-based networks using partial information

ABSTRACT

A method for communication includes, during a call conducted among two or more subscribers in a circuit-switched network, which operates in accordance with a first communication protocol that manages calls among the subscribers by exchanging discrete events among elements of the circuit-switched network, receiving from the circuit-switched network an incomplete subset of the events related to the call. Based on the incomplete subset of the events, at least one emulated communication session is generated in a packet-switched network that operates in accordance with a second communication protocol. Using the emulated session, a service platform in the packet-switched network is caused to provide a communication service to the call conducted in the circuit-switched network.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication 61/181,302, filed May 27, 2009, whose disclosure isincorporated herein by reference. This application is related to a U.S.patent application entitled “Providing Session-Based Services toEvent-Based Networks in Multi-Leg Calls” (attorney docket no.1008-1006.2) and to a U.S. patent application entitled “ProvidingSession-Based Service Orchestration to Event-Based Networks” (attorneydocket no. 1008-1006.3), both filed on even date, whose disclosures areincorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to communication systems, andparticularly to methods and systems for providing call services overcommunication networks.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Several concepts and architectures are known in the art for providingcommunication services over communication networks. For example, theIntelligent Network (IN) is an architectural concept that enablesreal-time execution of network services and customer applications in adistributed environment of interconnected computers and switchingsystems, such as wire-line and wireless telephone networks. IN standardshave been promulgated by the International Telecommunications Union(ITU-T) and by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). The INconcept is described, for example, by Faynberg et al., in “TheDevelopment of the Wireless Intelligent Network (WIN) and Its Relationto the International Intelligent Network Standards,” Bell Labs TechnicalJournal, Summer, 1997, pages 57-80, which is incorporated herein byreference.

Another example of a standardized service provisioning architecture isthe Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) architecture. The IMSarchitecture is defined and described in a 3^(rd) Generation PartnershipProject (3GPP) standard entitled “Technical Specification Group Servicesand System Aspects; IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS); Stage 2 (Release 7),”3GPP TS 23.228, version 7.2.0, December 2005, which is incorporatedherein by reference. The IP multimedia core network (IM CN) subsystemenables Public Land-Mobile Network (PLMN) operators to offer theirsubscribers multimedia services based on and built upon Internetapplications, services and protocols. The IMS architecture is described,for example, in a whitepaper published by Lucent Technologies Inc.(Murray Hill, N.J.), entitled “IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) ServiceArchitecture,” February, 2005, which is incorporated herein byreference.

Signaling in IMS networks is typically performed in accordance with theSession Initiation Protocol (SIP). SIP is described by Rosenberg et al.,in Request For Comments (RFC) 3261, published by the InternetEngineering Task Force (IETF), entitled “SIP: Session InitiationProtocol,” June 2002, which is incorporated herein by reference.

Various techniques for providing services across multiple communicationdomains are known in the art. For example, PCT International PublicationWO 2006/077587, whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference,describes a method for communication in a communication system thatincludes a circuit-switched network and a packet-switched network. Themethod includes accepting a request to set up a call for a communicationterminal associated with one of the circuit-switched network and thepacket-switched network. The call is established with the one of thecircuit-switched network and the packet-switched network responsively tothe request. During the call, a first service platform in thecircuit-switched network is invoked to provide a first call service, anda second service platform in the packet-switched network is invoked toprovide a second call service to the communication terminal.

As another example, U.S. Patent Application Publication 2007/0263599,whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes a methodfor communication. The method includes predefining a plurality ofservice delivery modes having different signaling and media pathconfigurations in circuit-switched and packet-switched networks. Arequest to place a call is accepted in the circuit-switched network, anda call service to be provided to the call by a service platform in thepacket-switched network is identified responsively to the request. Aservice delivery mode is selected from the plurality responsively to anattribute of the call indicated by the request. Signaling and mediapaths are established for the call via the circuit-switched andpacket-switched networks in accordance with the signaling and media pathconfigurations of the selected service delivery mode. The call serviceis provided from the service platform to the call using the establishedsignaling and media paths.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the present invention that is described hereinbelowprovides a method for communication, including:

during a call conducted among two or more subscribers in acircuit-switched network, which operates in accordance with a firstcommunication protocol that manages calls among the subscribers byexchanging discrete events among elements of the circuit-switchednetwork, receiving from the circuit-switched network an incompletesubset of the events related to the call;

based on the incomplete subset of the events, generating at least oneemulated communication session in a packet-switched network thatoperates in accordance with a second communication protocol; and

using the emulated session, causing a service platform in thepacket-switched network to provide a communication service to the callconducted in the circuit-switched network.

In some embodiments, the first communication protocol includes anIntelligent Network (IN) protocol, and the second communication protocolincludes a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP). In a disclosed embodiment,generating the emulated communication session includes sending to theservice platform a message that does not correspond to any event thatwas received from the circuit-switched network. In another embodiment,causing the service platform to provide the communication serviceincludes filtering out a message, which is generated by the serviceplatform, so as to prevent the message from reaching thecircuit-switched network.

In an embodiment, the method includes updating a first state machinerepresenting the call in the circuit-switched network responsively tothe received events, generating the at least one emulated communicationsession includes defining at least one second state machine representingthe at least one emulated communication session in the packet-switchednetwork, and synchronizing the first and second state machines with oneanother. In another embodiment, causing the service platform to providethe communication service includes receiving one or more messages fromthe service platform, and sending one or more events to thecircuit-switched network responsively to the messages received from theservice platform.

In yet another embodiment, the call includes a multi-leg call, andgenerating the at least one emulated communication session includesrepresenting communication on each leg of the multi-leg call using oneor more respective emulated communication sessions. In still anotherembodiment, the method includes providing multiple call services to thecall conducted in the circuit-switched network from the packet-switchednetwork by cascading multiple service sessions, each providing arespective one of the call services, in the packet switched networkresponsively to the emulated communication session.

There is additionally provided, in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention, a mediation system, including:

a first interface for communicating with a circuit-switched network,which operates in accordance with a first communication protocol thatmanages calls by exchanging discrete events among elements of thecircuit-switched network;

a second interface for communicating with a packet-switched network thatoperates in accordance with a second communication protocol; and

a processor, which is configured to receive from the circuit-switchednetwork, during a call conducted among two or more subscribers in thecircuit-switched network, an incomplete subset of the events related tothe call, to generate at least one emulated communication session in thepacket-switched network based on the incomplete subset of the events,and, using the emulated session, to cause a service platform in thepacket-switched network to provide a communication service to the callconducted in the circuit-switched network.

The present invention will be more fully understood from the followingdetailed description of the embodiments thereof, taken together with thedrawings in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram that schematically illustrates a communicationsystem, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagram that schematically illustrates a process ofproviding a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) call service to a callconducted using an Intelligent Network (IN) protocol, in accordance withan embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a flow chart that schematically illustrates a method forproviding a SIP call service to a call conducted using an IN protocol,in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 4A and 4B are call-flow diagrams that schematically illustrateprocesses of providing a SIP call service to a call conducted using anIN protocol, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a flow chart that schematically illustrates a method forproviding a SIP call service to a multi-leg call conducted using an INprotocol, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is a diagram that schematically illustrates a process ofproviding multiple SIP call services to a call conducted using an INprotocol, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Overview

Embodiments of the present invention that are described herein offerimproved methods and systems for providing call services that areimplemented in one communication network, to calls that are conducted inanother network. In particular, these methods and systems mediatebetween calls that are conducted using event-based protocols andservices that are implemented using session-based protocols. The term“event-based protocol” refers to communication protocols that managecalls among subscribers by generating and responding to discrete events.An event may comprise any discrete trigger or notification indicatingthat a certain event related to the call has occurred. In asession-based protocol, on the other hand, a call follows a predefinedstate model and progresses from one state to another in a rigid,well-defined set of possible transitions.

A typical example of an event-based protocol is the Intelligent Network(IN) protocol. A typical example of a session-based protocol is theSession Initiation Protocol (SIP). The embodiments described hereinrefer mainly to schemes that provide SIP-based services to IN calls,although the disclosed techniques can be used with various otherprotocols.

In some embodiments, a mediation system is connected to acircuit-switched network and to a packet-switched network. Thepacket-switched network comprises one or more service platforms, whichprovide call services to sessions using a session-based protocol (e.g.,SIP). In the circuit-switched network, a call is conducted among two ormore subscribers using an event-based protocol (e.g., IN). Inparticular, one or more call services are to be provided to the call.The mediation system accepts from the circuit-switched network asequence of events related to the call, and uses these events togenerate one or more emulated communication sessions of thesession-based protocol in the packet-switched network. The emulatedsessions cause the service platforms in the packet-switched network toprovide the requested call services, as though a session-based call wereactually being conducted in the packet-switched network. The mediationsystem translates the resulting session-based signaling to equivalentevent-based signaling that is sent to the circuit-switched network.Using this scheme, the session-based service platforms provide therequested call services to the event-based call in the circuit-switchednetwork.

In some of the disclosed techniques, the mediation system emulates thecommunication sessions in the packet-switched network even when thesequence of events received from the circuit-switched network isincomplete. In addition, the mediation system may discard parts of thesession-based signaling that do not affect the event-based call. Thesefeatures enable considerable reduction in the signaling overhead overthe circuit-switched network.

In other disclosed techniques, the mediation system causes thesession-based service platforms to provide call services to multi-legcalls. In an example embodiment, the mediation system generates multipleemulated sessions in the packet-switched network for a given multi-legcall, one emulated session representing each leg of the call. In otherdisclosed techniques, the mediation system coordinates (“orchestrates”)multiple call services to be provided to a given call. In an exampleembodiment, the services are orchestrated by generating sessionsrepresenting the services and cascading the sessions.

The methods and systems described herein can be used, for example, toprovide advanced SIP services to legacy IN networks. A wide variety ofcall services can be provided, such as Virtual Private Network (VPN),Click-to-dial and screening services (e.g., black lists and/or whitelists), as well as charging and billing services. Some services, such asRing-Back Tone, Personal Auto-Attendant and Conferencing, may involvemedia processing in addition to signaling.

System Description

FIG. 1 is a block diagram that schematically illustrates a communicationsystem 20, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.System 20 comprises a mediation system 24, which is connected to acircuit-switched communication network 28 and to a packet-switchedcommunication network 32. Mediation system 24 provides call servicesthat are implemented in network 32 to users of network 28, using methodsthat are described in detail below.

Circuit-switched network 28 serves subscriber terminals 40, such asmobile terminals and Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) wire-linetelephones. Subscriber terminals 40 may comprise cellular phones,cellular or wireless modems and adapters, and/or any other suitableterminal type. For the sake of simplicity, the description that followswill refer mainly to telephones, although the methods and systemsdescribed herein can be used in conjunction with any other type ofterminals or communication clients. Terminals 40 may conduct variouskinds of calls via network 28. Although the embodiments described hereinrefer mainly to voice calls, in the context of the present patentapplication and in the claims, the term “call” is used in a wider senseto describe any type of communication interaction among two or moreterminals 40, such as, for example, voice calls, video calls ormultimedia messaging service (MMS) messages.

Network 28 may comprise, for example, a Code Division Multiple Access(CDMA) cellular network such as a CdmaOne, Universal MobileTelecommunication System (UMTS), CDMA2000 or EvDo network, a GlobalSystem for Mobile communication (GSM) cellular network, or any othersuitable network. Network 28 provides Intelligent Network (IN) servicesto subscriber terminals 40, e.g., in accordance with the IN standardscited above. The terms “subscribers” and “subscriber terminals” are usedinterchangeably herein. The elements of network 28 are typicallyinterconnected by a circuit-switched Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN)operating in accordance with the well-known Signaling System 7 (SS7)protocol. In some embodiments, network 28 comprises a wire-line,SS7-based network. In these embodiments, IN services are provided innetwork 28 in accordance with a variant of the IN standard, referred toas an Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN). Alternatively, any otherIN-based protocol can also be used. Network 28 may comprise networkelements (not shown) such as switches (e.g., Mobile SwitchingCenters—MSCs or Service Switching Points—SSPs), Home Location Register(HLR) or any other suitable network element.

Packet-switched network 32 may comprise, for example, an InternetProtocol (IP) network, a Wireless

Local Area Network (WLAN), a Wi-Fi network, a WiMax Network, or anyother packet-switched, wireless or wire-line, communication network. Insome embodiments, network 32 may comprise a packet network operatingover a mobile infrastructure, such as a CDMA2000 EvDO network. In thepresent example, network 32 comprises an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS)network, in accordance with the IMS standards cited above. As such,signaling in network 28 is performed in accordance with the SessionInitiation Protocol (SIP), cited above. Network 32 typically providesconnectivity and communication services to IP terminals (not shown).Network 32 may comprise network elements (not shown) such as a CallState Control Function (CSCF) or any other suitable network element.

Network 32 comprises one or more service platforms, in the presentexample SIP Application Servers (AS) 36, which provide call servicesthat are implemented using SIP. (The terms “call service” and“communication service” are used interchangeably herein.) Mediationsystem 24 enables SIP AS 36 in packet-switched network 32 to provideSIP-based call services to calls that are conducted among subscribers 40in circuit-switched network 28. Mediation system 24 comprises an INinterface 44 for communicating with network 28, a SIP interface 52 forcommunicating with network 32, and a mediation processor 48 that carriesout the methods described herein.

Mediation system 24 is typically implemented in software running on asuitable computer. Typically, mediation processor 48 comprises ageneral-purpose computer, which is programmed in software to carry outthe functions described herein. The software may be downloaded to thecomputer in electronic form, over a network, for example, or it may,alternatively or additionally, be provided and/or stored onnon-transitory tangible media, such as magnetic, optical, or electronicmemory. Alternatively, however, some of the functions of system 24 maybe implemented using hardware, or using a combination of hardware andsoftware elements.

Mediation Between Event-Based and Session-Based Protocols

IN signaling and SIP signaling are fundamentally different in nature.The IN protocols are inherently event-based protocols. According to theIN protocol, the different elements of the circuit-switched networkcarry out and manage calls by exchanging and responding to discreteevents. In this context, the term “event” refers to a signal, trigger ornotification indicating that a certain event has taken place. Someevents indicate the progress of the call, whereas other events mayrelate to charging or other functions. The sequence of IN events (alsoreferred to as IN triggers) that are exchanged during a given call isreferred to as an IN dialogue. SIP, on the other hand, is asession-based protocol. In SIP, on the other hand, a call between twosubscribers is represented by a session. SIP sessions have a concretemodel, often represented by a state machine having states and statetransitions. A given SIP session progresses from one state to anotheralong the state transitions according to the model.

SIP sessions are typically point-to-point, i.e., defined between twoendpoints (e.g., between two subscribers or between a subscriber and aSIP AS). IN calls, on the other hand, may involve multiple endpoints,e.g., in a multi-party call.

The example embodiments described herein refer mainly to a mediationsystem that provides SIP services to IN calls. These embodiments,however, are described purely by way of example. The methods and systemsdescribed herein can be used to provide call services that areimplemented using any suitable session-based protocol, to calls that areconducted using any suitable event-based protocol. Another example of anevent-based protocol is Diameter Credit Control Application (DCCA). Thetechniques described herein can be used, for example, to representDCCA-based charging services using a session-based protocol.

FIG. 2 is a diagram that schematically illustrates a process ofproviding a SIP call service to a call conducted using an IN protocol,in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The diagramof FIG. 2 shows some of the functions performed by mediation processor48 in system 24.

Processor 48 maintains a respective IN state machine 56 for each INcall. The IN state machine has a certain set of call states, and acertain set of transitions between the call states. As the IN callprogresses, processor 48 receives IN events that are generated duringthe call from network 28. Based on the received events, processor 48updates the current state of state machine 56. Although FIG. 2 shows asingle IN state machine 56 for the sake of clarity, processor 48typically holds multiple IN state machine instances, corresponding tothe multiple IN calls that are in progress. Note that a given IN callmay involve more than two subscribers 40, e.g., in a multi-party call.Typically, the composite state of the entire multi-party call isrepresented by a single IN state machine 56. (The handling ofmulti-party calls is described in greater detail further below.)

In order to provide call services from SIP AS 36 in network 32 to agiven IN call in network 28, processor 48 generates one or more emulatedSIP sessions, which emulate the IN call in packet-switched network 32.Each SIP session is represented by a respective SIP state machine 60.Processor 48 may sometimes emulate a single IN call using multiple SIPsessions. For example, in a point-to-point IN call, one SIP session maybe defined between one of the subscribers to the SIP AS, and another SIPsession may be defined between the SIP AS and the other subscriber. In amulti-party IN call, multiple SIP sessions may be defined. Each SIPsession may represent communication between a given pair of subscribers,or between a given subscriber and a SIP AS. In other words, a given INstate machine 56 may correspond to one or more SIP state machines 60.

Generally, SIP state machines 60 are different in structure from INstates machines 56, since they correspond to different communicationprotocols. When generating the emulated sessions, processor 48synchronizes the SIP state machines and the IN state machine of thecall, so that all state machines represent the current state of the callin the IN domain and in the SIP domain.

State machine synchronization is typically bidirectional. When processor48 performs a state transition in the IN state machine in response tonewly-arriving IN events, the processor updates the corresponding SIPstate machines to reflect this state transition. In the oppositedirection, when processor 48 performs a state transition in a SIP statemachine in response to the interaction with a SIP AS, the processorupdates the corresponding IN state machines to reflect this statetransition.

In response to a state transition in IN state machine 56, processor 48may generate one or more IN events that reflect this change to network28 (and in particular to subscribers 40). In response to a statetransition in SIP state machine 60, processor 48 may generate SIPsignaling reflecting this change to network (and in particular to SIP AS36). In an example embodiment, processor 48 may hold a mapping betweenIN events and SIP messages, and use this mapping for emulating the SIPsession and for generating IN events. For example, the following tablelists several examples of incoming IN events from network 28 and thecorresponding SIP messages generated by processor 48 toward network 32:

Generated SIP Received IN Event message InitialDP INVITE(oAnswer)EventReportBCSM OK (tAnswer)EventReportBCSM OK(Seized_Term_O)EventReportBCSM (Ringing) 180(CallAttempt)EventReportBCSM (Ringing) 180(Failure_Select_Route)EventReportBCSM (Gone) 410 (obusy)EventReportBCSM(BUSY HERE) 486 (tbusy)EventReportBCSM (HERE BUSY) 486(oNoAnswer)EventReportBCSM 408 (Request Timeout)(tNoAnswer)EventReportBCSM 408 (Request Timeout)(oAbandon)EventReportBCSM CANCEL(originating session)(tAbandon)EventReportBCSM CANCEL(originating session) (1leg,oDisconnect)EventReportBCSM BYE (on originating SIP session) (2leg,oDisconnect)EventReportBCSM BYE (on terminating SIP session) (1leg,tDisconnect)EventReportBCSM BYE (on originating SIP session) (2leg,tDisconnect)EventReportBCSM BYE (on terminating SIP session)

As another example, the following table lists several examples ofincoming SIP messages from network 32 and the corresponding IN eventsgenerated by processor 48 toward network 28:

Received SIP Message Generated IN event INVITE Continue/Connect(depending on parameter change) (on existing session) OK (onContinue/Connect (depending on parameter change) terminating SIPsession) 486 (on Continue/Connect/Release (depending on sessionterminating state) SIP session) BYE (onReleaseCall/Continue/ContinueWithArgument/ originatingDisconnectLeg(depending on session state) SIP session) BYE (onReleaseCall/Continue/ContinueWithArgument/ terminatingDisconnectLeg(depending on session state) SIP session)

Toward network 28, processor 48 translates the interaction with SIP AS36 into a valid IN dialogue. Thus, subscribers 40 (and other elements ofnetwork 28) exchange valid IN events, and are typically unaware that thecall services they are provided with originate from another network andanother protocol. Toward network 32, processor 48 translates thesequences of IN events (IN dialogues) into emulated SIP sessions. As aresult, SIP AS 36 operate as if they interact with SIP terminals, andare typically unaware that they provide services to another network.

The above-described mechanisms can be used to provide any suitable typeof call service (also referred to as communication service) from network32 to subscribers 40, such as Click-to-Dial, Ring Back Tone, VPN andPrePaid.

Processor 48 may communicate with network 28 (via interface 44) usingany suitable protocol, such as Intelligent Network Application Part(INAP), CAMEL Application Part (CAP), Wireless Intelligent Network (WIN)or Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN), or various TransactionCapabilities Application Part (TCAP) based protocols. Processor 48typically communicates with network 32 (via interface 52) using SIP.

Mediation Between Sip and in Using Incomplete and/or SuperfluousInformation

In some embodiments, processor 48 generates the emulated SIP session orsessions based on an incomplete (partial) subset of the IN eventsexchanged during the IN call. In other words, processor 48 is able tosynchronize IN state machine 56 and SIP state machines 60 based on onlypart of the IN events of the call. In the present context, the eventsreceived at processor 48 may be partial or incomplete for a number ofreasons. For example, the term “incomplete” or “partial” may mean thatmediation system 24 does not receive all events that are mandated by thestandardized call model that is used in the circuit-switched network,e.g., because some events are not generated, or if generated are nottransmitted to the mediation system. For example, in somecircuit-switched networks, a network element may request to be notifiedof only a partial subset of the IN events. In such networkconfigurations, mediation system 24 may request the network elements ofnetwork 28 to provide only a certain partial subset of the IN events.

As another example, the mediation system may receive all the events thatare mandated by the circuit-switched network. The call model that isused in the packet-switched network, however, may require or expectadditional events that are not mandated or generated in thecircuit-switched network. In this scenario, the received events are alsoconsidered incomplete.

In some embodiments, processor 48 synchronizes the IN and SIP statemachines and generates the emulated SIP sessions based on the incompletesubset of events. The ability to generate the emulated sessions based ononly part of the IN events helps to reduce the signaling overhead innetwork 28. Using this technique, the bandwidth resources of network 28can be used efficiently. This benefit is particularly important in largenetworks that carry large numbers of calls simultaneously.

System 24 may receive any suitable subset of IN events, as applicable,and processor 48 may use any suitable method for synchronizing statemachines 56 and based on the incomplete subset of IN events. Two examplescenarios are demonstrated in FIGS. 4A and 4B below.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart that schematically illustrates a method forproviding a SIP call service to a call conducted using an IN protocol,in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The methodbegins with mediation processor 48 receiving via interface 44 a partialsubset of the IN events pertaining to a given IN call, at a partialinput step 70. Processor 48 updates IN state machine 56 based on thepartial subset of events, at an IN state machine updating step 74.Processor 48 synchronizes SIP state machine (or machines) 60 to IN statemachine 56, at a synchronization step 78. Based on the updated SIP statemachine or machines, processor 48 generates one or more emulated SIPsessions in network 32, at a session generation step 82. Processor 48thus generates SIP signaling, which reflects the emulated sessions, viainterface 52.

The SIP signaling generated by processor 48 invokes SIP AS 36 to providethe desired SIP-based call service to the emulated session, at a serviceinvocation step 86. Processor 48 translates the SIP signaling of thecall service into an IN dialogue in network 28, at a serviceprovisioning step 90. As a result, the SIP call service is provided fromSIP AS 36 in network 32 to subscribers 40 in network 28.

In practice, some of the SIP signaling exchanged during the emulatedsessions may not necessarily affect subscribers 40 or the IN dialogue innetwork 28. Thus, in some embodiments, processor 48 filters out some ofthe SIP signaling in network 32, and does not translate it into INevents in network 28. This technique helps to reduce the signalingoverhead in network 28, as well. An example of such a scenario is shownin FIG. 4B below.

FIG. 4A is a call-flow diagram that schematically illustrates a processof providing a SIP call service to an IN call, in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention. The example of FIG. 4A describesthe interaction among a switch (e.g., MSC or SSP) in circuit-switchednetwork 28, mediation system 24 and SIP AS 36. In the present example,network 28 comprises a wire-line network that operates in accordancewith the AIN protocol, and network 32 operates using SIP.

When a call is set-up in network 28, the switch sends anAIN_Info-Collected event 100 to mediation system 24. In response to thisevent, the mediation system generates a SIP_INVITE message 104 towardthe SIP AS. The SIP AS responds with a SIP_INVITE message 108 in theopposite direction, toward the mediation system. In response to messages104 and 108, two emulated SIP sessions are established—one from themediation system to the SIP AS, and the other from the SIP AS to themediation system. Having set-up the two SIP sessions, the mediationsystem sends an AIN_Send_Notification event 112 and an AIN_Analyze_Routeevent 116 to the switch.

At this point, the mediation system simulates an answer notification(i.e., a notification indicating that the call was answered by thecalled subscriber) in the packet-switched network, even though no suchevent was received from the circuit-switched network. In the presentexample, the AIN protocol does not specify an answer event that is sentbetween switches. In SIP, on the other hand, the SIP AS expects ananswer notification of this sort. In order to comply with the SIPspecifications, the mediation system automatically generates aSIP_200_OK message 120, which indicates to the SIP AS that the calledparty answered the call. Note that message 120 is generatedautomatically, and not in response to any corresponding event arrivingfrom network 28.

The SIP AS responds with a SIP_200_OK message 124. From this point, thecall is active, and the SIP AS provides the requested service. When thecall is terminated in the circuit-switched network, the switch sends anAIN_Termination_Notification event 128 to the mediation system. Inresponse to this event, the mediation system sends two SIP_BYE messages132 and 136 to the SIP AS, so as to terminate the two SIP sessionsdefined between the mediation system and the AS (the sessions set upusing SIP_INVITE messages 104 and 108). The SIP AS responds with tworespective SIP_200_OK messages 140 and 144.

In the example of FIG. 4A, the AIN events received from thecircuit-switched network are incomplete in the sense that they do notcontain all the event types that are expected by the communicationprotocol (SIP) used in packet-switched network.

FIG. 4B is a call-flow diagram that schematically illustrates a processof providing a SIP call service to an IN call, in accordance withanother embodiment of the present invention. In the example of FIG. 4B,circuit-switched network 28 operates using CAP, and packet-switchednetwork 32 operates using SIP.

When a call is set-up in network 28, the switch sends a CAP_InitialDPevent 150 to mediation system 24. In response to this event, themediation system generates a SIP_INVITE message 154 toward the SIP AS.The SIP AS responds with a SIP_INVITE message 158 toward the mediationsystem. In response to messages 154 and 158, two emulated SIP sessionsare established—one from the mediation system to the SIP AS, and theother in the opposite direction. Having set-up the two SIP sessions, themediation system sends a CAP_CONNECT event 162 to the switch. TheCAP_CONNECT operation will, in this case, close the dialog betweennetwork 28 and mediation system 24. No further event related to thiscall will be reported to the mediation system.

At this point, it is desired to discontinue the service provided by theSIP AS. As such, it is also desirable that the mediation system stopsreceiving events from network 28 regarding this call. In order todiscontinue the SIP service, the mediation system automaticallygenerates an artificial busy message 166 (in the present example aSIP_486 message) toward the SIP AS. This busy message is not caused byany genuine error in the call or by any other event arriving fromnetwork 28. As a result of the artificial busy message, the SIP ASresponds with a SIP_486 message 170, and the SIP sessions correspondingto the call are terminated. Consequently, no subsequent events relatedto this call arrive at the mediation system, and network bandwidth isconserved. This example demonstrates how processor 48 filters out someof the SIP signaling in network 32, and refrains from translating itinto IN events in network 28. In the present example, the SIP_486messages are generated for completeness of the SIP session, and are notfollowed by any IN signaling in network 28.

The scenarios shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B are chosen purely by way ofexample, to demonstrate the ability of the mediation system to provideSIP services to IN calls in the presence of incomplete event sequences.The methods and systems described herein can be used in various otherscenarios.

Providing Sip Services to Multi-Leg in Calls

Some IN calls in network 28 involve more than two legs, and are referredto as multi-leg calls. Some multi-leg calls involve more than twosubscribers 40. Calls of this sort are referred to as multi-party calls.Other multi-leg calls may involve only two subscribers. In a conferencecall, for example, the call has a leg that connects each subscriber to aconference bridge. The call model of a multi-leg call is complex, sincestate transitions that are related to one leg or one subscriber mayaffect the call progress in other legs or other subscribers. A “leg” ofa call denotes a point-to-point connection between two entities involvedin the call, e.g., between two subscribers, between a subscriber and anetwork element, or between two network elements. Thus, the IN statemachine that represents a multi-leg call is often large and complex. InSIP, on the other hand, a given SIP session is typically defined aspoint-to-point, i.e., as an interaction between two endpoints.

In some embodiments, mediation system 24 provides SIP-based callservices from network 32 to multi-leg IN calls held in network 28. Inorder to mediate between subscribers 40 and SIP AS 36 in this scenario,mediation processor 48 typically defines a single IN state machine thattracks a given multi-leg IN call. In the SIP domain, processor 48defines multiple SIP state machines 60 for the multi-leg call, one foreach leg of the call. In other words, processor 36 emulates a multi-legIN call in the SIP domain by generating three or more emulated SIPsessions, one emulated session for each leg of the call.

Processor 48 receives the IN dialogue (i.e., sequence of IN events)related to the multi-leg call from network 28. The received IN eventsmay comprise the entire IN dialogue (i.e., all IN events related to thecall) or a certain incomplete subset of the events, as explained above.Processor 48 updates the state of IN state machine 56 based on thereceived IN events. As the multi-leg call progresses, processor 48synchronizes the IN state machine and the SIP state machines, so thatthe multiple SIP sessions emulate the multi-leg IN call toward SIP AS36. One or more SIP AS 36 provide SIP-based call services to theemulated SIP sessions, as if they interact with genuine SIP terminals.Processor 48 translates the resulting SIP signaling to equivalent INevents in network 28. Thus, subscribers 40 that participate in themulti-leg call are provided with the requested services.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart that schematically illustrates a method forproviding a SIP call service to a multi-leg IN call, in accordance withan embodiment of the present invention. The method begins with mediationprocessor 48 defining a single IN state machine 56 representing theentire multi-leg IN call, at an IN state machine definition step 200.Processor 48 defines multiple SIP state machines 60, such that eachstate machine 60 represents a respective leg of the multi-leg call, at aSIP state machine definition step 204.

Processor 48 receives via interface 44 a sequence of IN events relatedto a given multi-leg IN call, at an event input step 208. Processor 48updates IN state machine 56 based on the sequence of IN events, andsynchronizes the multiple SIP state machines 60 to IN state machine 56,at an updating and synchronization step 212. Based on the updated SIPstate machines, processor 48 generates multiple emulated SIP sessions innetwork 32, at a SIP generation step 216. Each emulated SIP sessionrepresents a respective leg of the multi-leg call. The SIP signaling ofthe emulated sessions invokes SIP AS 36 to provide the requestedSIP-based call services to the multi-leg call, at an invocation step220.

Call Service Orchestration in the Sip Domain

In some scenarios, multiple call services are provided to the same INcall. For example, a screening service can be combined with ahome-zoning and/or prepaid service. Unless accounted for, providingmultiple services to a call may cause conflicts, since each servicepotentially affects the call progress. Coordinating the provisioning ofservices to a given call is sometimes referred to as serviceorchestration. In some embodiments, mediation system 24 orchestratesmultiple call services in the SIP domain by defining a separate SIPsession for each service, and cascading the SIP sessions.

FIG. 6 is a diagram that schematically illustrates a process oforchestrating SIP call services provided to an IN call, in accordancewith an embodiment of the present invention. In the present example,mediation processor 48 generates an emulated SIP session that representsthe IN call (as explained above), and three service sessions 224A-224C.Processor 48 cascades the SIP sessions. (Each SIP session is definedbetween two endpoints. Cascading sessions means connecting theendpoints, using the sessions, in series.)

Consider, for example, an example in which a certain IN call requeststhree SIP services. The three services are provided by three respectiveSIP AS. In order to provide the services in a coordinated manner,mediation processor 48 generates SIP service sessions that emulate thethree services, and cascades the service sessions. For the case of threeSIP AS, processor 48 may generate up to six sessions.

Each pair of sessions corresponds to a given AS, and represents theinteraction of two SIP endpoints with this AS. For a given pair ofsessions, both SIP endpoints are actually processor 48, which representsthe calls toward the IN side (network 28). The first endpoint in thepair sends a SIP session to the AS. In some embodiments, the AS routesthe session to the second endpoint of the pair (actually back toprocessor 48). In this case, the AS typically operates in a proxy orredirect mode. In alternative embodiments, the AS establishes a new SIPsession toward the second endpoint of the pair (processor 48). In thiscase, the AS typically operates in back-to-back UA mode.

The three pairs of service sessions are cascaded to one another viaprocessor 48. For example, based on the second session of the paircorresponding to the first AS, processor 48 creates a new session towardthe second AS, and so on. In total, the three SIP services areorchestrated by cascading six SIP sessions through processor 48:

SIP session Endpoints #1 Processor 48→AS#1 #2 AS#1→Processor 48 #3Processor 48→AS#2 #4 AS#2→Processor 48 #5 Processor 48→AS#3 #6AS#3→Processor 48

The cascaded service sessions can be viewed as a single composite SIPsession, which provides the three call services #1-#3 in a coordinatedmanner. Orchestrating services by cascading SIP sessions is typicallyservice-independent, i.e., independent of the specific structure orfunctionality of the orchestrated services. This sort of serviceorchestration is also independent of the structure of the call, i.e.,independent of the structure of IN state machine 56 and SIP statemachine 60.

Additional Embodiments and Variations

The methods and systems described herein can be used to provide a widevariety of SIP-based call services to IN calls. Although the embodimentsdescribed herein refer mainly to call services that are related to callprogress, the disclosed methods and systems are in no way limited tosuch services. For example, the techniques described herein can be usedto provide SIP-based charging and/or billing services to IN calls. In anexample embodiment, a SIP-based charging or billing service isimplemented on a SIP AS. The schemes of FIGS. 1-6 above can be used toprovide this charging or billing service to IN calls conducted innetwork 28.

For example, a SIP-based prepaid charging service may allocate a certainprepaid credit to a subscriber. During a call, the service acceptsrequests for credit quotas, and approves or declines the requests basedon the current remaining credit. This sort of charging service can beprovided to IN calls in network 28 using the disclosed techniques. Inthis example, the quota requests are provided to mediation processor 48as IN events, and the mediation processor translates them into anemulated SIP session that interacts with the SIP AS that implements thecharging service. In the opposite direction, processor 48 translatesquota approval and refusal into IN events that are sent to network 28.

In some embodiments, SIP-based charging or billing services can beprovided using only an incomplete subset of the IN events (e.g., usingthe technique of FIG. 3 above). Additionally or alternatively, SIP-basedcharging or billing services can be provided to multi-part calls (e.g.,using the technique of FIG. 5 above). As yet another example, SIP-basedcharging or billing services can be orchestrated with one another,and/or with other types of SIP-based services, using session cascading(e.g., using the scheme of FIG. 6 above).

The embodiments described herein refer mainly to the signaling that isexchanged during calls. The examples given herein focus mainly on the INand SIP signaling that is involved in providing call services. Themethods and systems described herein, however, can also be used forproviding call services that involve processing of media in addition tosignaling, such as Ring Back Tone and Personal Auto-Attendant services.

It will thus be appreciated that the embodiments described above arecited by way of example, and that the present invention is not limitedto what has been particularly shown and described hereinabove. Rather,the scope of the present invention includes both combinations andsub-combinations of the various features described hereinabove, as wellas variations and modifications thereof which would occur to personsskilled in the art upon reading the foregoing description and which arenot disclosed in the prior art.

1. A method for communication, comprising: during a call conducted amongtwo or more subscribers in a circuit-switched network, which operates inaccordance with a first communication protocol that manages calls amongthe subscribers by exchanging discrete events among elements of thecircuit-switched network, receiving from the circuit-switched network anincomplete subset of the events related to the call; based on theincomplete subset of the events, generating at least one emulatedcommunication session in a packet-switched network that operates inaccordance with a second communication protocol; and using the emulatedsession, causing a service platform in the packet-switched network toprovide a communication service to the call conducted in thecircuit-switched network.
 2. The method according to claim 1, whereinthe first communication protocol comprises an Intelligent Network (IN)protocol, and wherein the second communication protocol comprises aSession Initiation Protocol (SIP).
 3. The method according to claim 1,wherein generating the emulated communication session comprises sendingto the service platform a message that does not correspond to any eventthat was received from the circuit-switched network.
 4. The methodaccording to claim 1, wherein causing the service platform to providethe communication service comprises filtering out a message, which isgenerated by the service platform, so as to prevent the message fromreaching the circuit-switched network.
 5. The method according to claim1, and comprising updating a first state machine representing the callin the circuit-switched network responsively to the received events,wherein generating the at least one emulated communication sessioncomprises defining at least one second state machine representing the atleast one emulated communication session in the packet-switched network,and synchronizing the first and second state machines with one another.6. The method according to claim 1, wherein causing the service platformto provide the communication service comprises receiving one or moremessages from the service platform, and sending one or more events tothe circuit-switched network responsively to the messages received fromthe service platform.
 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein thecall comprises a multi-leg call, and wherein generating the at least oneemulated communication session comprises representing communication oneach leg of the multi-leg call using one or more respective emulatedcommunication sessions.
 8. The method according to claim 1, andcomprising providing multiple call services to the call conducted in thecircuit-switched network from the packet-switched network by cascadingmultiple service sessions, each providing a respective one of the callservices, in the packet switched network responsively to the emulatedcommunication session.
 9. A mediation system, comprising: a firstinterface for communicating with a circuit-switched network, whichoperates in accordance with a first communication protocol that managescalls by exchanging discrete events among elements of thecircuit-switched network; a second interface for communicating with apacket-switched network that operates in accordance with a secondcommunication protocol; and a processor, which is configured to receivefrom the circuit-switched network, during a call conducted among two ormore subscribers in the circuit-switched network, an incomplete subsetof the events related to the call, to generate at least one emulatedcommunication session in the packet-switched network based on theincomplete subset of the events, and, using the emulated session, tocause a service platform in the packet-switched network to provide acommunication service to the call conducted in the circuit-switchednetwork.
 10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the firstcommunication protocol comprises an Intelligent Network (IN) protocol,and wherein the second communication protocol comprises a SessionInitiation Protocol (SIP).
 11. The system according to claim 9, whereinthe processor is configured to send to the service platform, during theemulated communication session, a message that does not correspond toany event that was received from the circuit-switched network.
 12. Thesystem according to claim 9, wherein the processor is configured tofilter out a message, which is generated by the service platform, so asto prevent the message from reaching the circuit-switched network. 13.The system according to claim 9, wherein the processor is configured toupdate a first state machine representing the call in thecircuit-switched network responsively to the received events, to defineat least one second state machine representing the at least one emulatedcommunication session in the packet-switched network, and to synchronizethe first and second state machines with one another.
 14. The systemaccording to claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to receive oneor more messages from the service platform, and to send one or moreevents to the circuit-switched network responsively to the messagesreceived from the service platform.
 15. The system according to claim 9,wherein the call comprises a multi-leg call, and wherein the processoris configured to represent communication on each leg of the multi-legcall using one or more respective emulated communication sessions. 16.The system according to claim 9, wherein the processor is configured toprovide multiple call services to the call conducted in thecircuit-switched network from the packet-switched network by cascadingmultiple service sessions, each providing a respective one of the callservices, in the packet switched network responsively to the emulatedcommunication session.